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As he waited at home in Franklin Lakes, N.J., for his next NFL opportunity, Blake Costanzo spent part of his time sprucing up the place: He mulched, planted flowers and replaced the tile in his bathroom.

“I’m a pro,” Costanzo joked today. “I watch HGTV for hours.”

Costanzo, of course, is better known as professional football player so he was thrilled when the 49ers recently reached out and relieved him of his home-improvement duties.

Costanzo, 30, a special-teams ace, arrived in the Bay Area on Monday night and signed a one-year contract today. He is expected to further bolster a special-teams unit that ranked fifth in the NFL in opponent’s kickoff return average (20.4) and 13th in punt returns (8.7) last year.

In 2011, Costanzo was the heartbeat of the 49ers’ special teams. He ranked second on the team with 17 tackles and added a team-best four tackles, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble in two playoff games.

Costanzo, who played 61 snaps at inside linebacker with the Bears the past two seasons, didn’t sound as if he expected to compete for a spot on defense. The 49ers will likely be without All-Pro inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman (knee) for the first half of the season.

Costanzo had spoken with a “couple other teams” since free agency began in March, but none expressed as much as interest as the 49ers. Costanzo also played for 49ers special-teams coach Brad Seely with the Browns from 2009-10. In between working out and working on his bathroom, Costanzo stayed in touch with his former coach.

“I text Seely all the time just to bust his chops,” Costanzo said. “Whether it was about football, or just busting his chops about life in general. But I was in contact with him for sure.”

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Costanzo smiled when told he seemed too blue-collar to plant flowers: “That is true blue-collar right there, man. No doubt. Hands and knees getting dirty? I can do anything. It comes with the special-teams stuff.”